Chapter 18
That night, instead of sleeping, I spent the whole time replaying Eon’s face in my mind. His pale complexion and the way he pretended to be a good person, contrasted sharply with the eerie glint in his eyes and the sneer lingering at the corner of his mouth.
‘It was strange how he left Tara alone in the room when Marilyn attacked me. Then the next morning, he tried to test whether I was planning to leave. And today, he even followed me.’
No matter how I thought about it, the conclusion was the same — he had noticed my plan. There was no other explanation.
‘So he really knows what I’m up to?’
I threw off the blanket and sat up in bed. The chilly night air seeped through the thin gaps in my negligee. Normally, I would have snuggled back under the blanket, but the cold air made my mind clearer, and it wasn’t unpleasant.
‘Even if Eon knows, should I proceed as planned?’
My gaze landed on the music box placed on one side of the cabinet. When I wound it up, a porcelain ballerina spun around as music flowed out. The tune was short, so I wound it again. The ballerina spun again, dancing to the same melody.
Watching her, it felt as if I myself were dancing to Eon’s tune. No matter how many times she spun, she couldn’t escape the small stage. Unable to bear it, I hurled the music box onto the bed.
‘I don’t want to give up like this.’
I was not his puppet.
‘If there’s even the slightest chance.’
Even for me, a mere extra who wasn’t even mentioned much in the original novel, there was still hope. No matter how powerful a magician Eon was, there were things he couldn’t imagine.
‘That’s right, I’m a possessor who knows the original story.’
But soon after that tiny hope bloomed, anxiety raised its head.
‘But even if I know, what can I actually do?’
‘Isn’t the best choice to just wait quietly until Karina comes?’
‘But what if I die before then?’
A metallic taste suddenly filled my mouth. Reflexively, I pulled my hand away from my lips. Blood was oozing from beneath my ruined fingernails. Seeing the sight made a hollow laugh escape my lips.
Eon hadn’t even said or done anything to me, yet here I was, tearing at my own nails in fear. How ridiculous.
“…Let’s do it.”
I whispered quietly, wiping the blood from my finger. It was better to try something than tremble uselessly. After picking up the music box from the bed and placing it back where it belonged, I climbed back under the covers.
Of course, going out again the next day would seem suspicious, so I spent the next two days engrossed in research. In the meantime, the incident where Marilyn had attacked me seemed to be completely forgotten within the Magic Tower.
“Hmm, you’re making quite a secretive potion, aren’t you?”
Selly’s words startled me, almost like a guilty thief. Just by looking at the ingredients, she seemed to understand what I was trying to make.
“I was thinking of sneaking into a restricted area, maybe.”
I replied with a mischievous smile.
“The Forbidden Room on the fourth floor, perhaps?”
Now that she mentioned it, there was indeed such a room on the fourth floor.
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
I hadn’t thought about it at all until now.
“If you’re going, take me with you. It’s a secret, but I’m actually really curious about that room too.”
Selly lowered her voice as if she were seriously plotting.
“Don’t you think that room might be hiding the Magic Tower Master’s secrets?”
“The Tower Master’s secrets?”
Suddenly, images of the green eyeballs stored in cylinders and brown hair, still attached to scalps, hanging on display flashed in my mind.
“Yeah, things like magical items, or books recording the secrets of ancient alchemy.”
“Ancient alchemy?”
“They say a few hundred years ago, alchemy was much more advanced than it is now. These days, it’s just making potions and such.”
To me, who had only learned practical alchemy at the Count’s estate, it was a fresh story.
“I even heard they used to have alchemy that could handle life itself — extending human lifespans, or even creating new life. Haven’t you heard of that?”
Selly’s eyes sparkled as she glanced toward the bookshelf filled with titles like The History of Alchemy and The Vanished Alchemy. They looked like they contained serious research into the fantasy world’s truths.
But right now, I didn’t have the luxury to discuss such heavy topics. I didn’t care about alchemy’s history. All I cared about was helping Tara escape — and getting myself out too.
“Do you really think the Tower Master knows those secrets?”
“At the very least, he’s the one closest to them.”
If it was a secret about secretly taking lives, he would definitely know. I just shrugged and promised to share the potion once I succeeded.
Three days after my last outing, on the morning of the third day, I once again left the Magic Tower.
“Miss, are you going out?”
Just as I was about to climb into the carriage, someone called out.
“Yeah, I need to buy a lot of things for my new research.”
“Perfect timing. I had business in the city too.”
Once again, Karen started following me. At this point, I was sure that Eon had instructed her to tail me whenever I went out.
“You’re not going to the jewelry store again today, are you?”
Karen said, testing the waters. She clearly intended to stick close to me no matter what. It would be hard to shake her off like last time.
“No, I have a lot of things to buy at the market. My ankle still doesn’t seem fully healed, and it’s a real hassle.”
I rubbed my perfectly fine ankle a few times and smiled.
“Would you mind helping me out a bit, Karen?”
Feigning innocence, I smiled sweetly. Karen’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.
“Of course. Whatever you need.”
Karen nodded obediently, just like a dutiful maid.
The marketplace was as lively as usual. On one side, people were unloading goods from carts, while buyers and sellers haggled noisily. Shouts from merchants trying to sell their wares filled the air.
But soon, all of that faded from my mind when I spotted the herbalist’s shop in the distance. The letter tucked into my inner pocket felt as heavy as gold. I glanced sideways at Karen.
“Do you know where the blacksmith is?”
“Yes, are you heading there?”
“I was hoping you could buy some Harlon ore from the blacksmith for me.”
“Just me? You want me to go alone?”
“Yeah. In the meantime, I’ll be picking up some other materials here. Won’t it be faster that way? And make sure you get the ore thinly processed.”
Normally, Harlon ore was used in bead form, but thin processing would take time. I intended to tie Karen up at the blacksmith and meet Eaton at the herbalist’s in the meantime.
“Okay?”
“Alright.”
Karen looked a bit suspicious, but she couldn’t outright refuse my request.
“I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
“Thanks.”
Karen kept glancing back, worried about leaving her noble lady alone.
‘That takes care of Karen for now.’
I headed toward the herbalist’s shop. Since herbs were essential ingredients for making potions, no one would suspect me just for being here.
Even after seeing the crates full of herbs, I deliberately checked the shop sign again. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. While I did, Eaton, who recognized me, greeted me warmly.
“Welcome.”
From the side, while trimming herbs, his hand…
